"Why pay more for a name brand?" is a valid question when applied to tissue paper and prescription drugs, but does it make sense when the salesman is talking about a $1,000 flat-panel television? For avid bargain-hunters, the answer is yes. The LCD television market is clogged with generic brands that youve never heard of.

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The price: $999

While not suited to discerning low-light viewing, the Vizio L32HDTV is a good bargain for a solid everyday television. It's Vizio's first 32-inch LCD with a built-in HDTV tuner and a sub-$1,000 price, making it one of the least-expensive. Not every budget LCD has an HDMI input, but this Vizio does. It also includes two component-video inputs, a VGA-style PC input, two composite A/V inputs with S-Video and two RF jacks, one for the built-in HDTV tuner.

If all you care about is the size and shape of your TV and you don't do much home-theater viewing, then this TV might be right for you. With a native resolution of 1,366-by-768, the LT32HV has more than enough pixels for full 720p HDTV. If you want to watch HDTV, you'll have to add an external tuner or a cable or satellite box. Dual-tuner picture-in-picture is foremost among convenient features. Inputs are adequate, but HDMI isn't one of them.

Our first impression of the Westinghouse LTV-32W3's appearance: round. The set's fuselage has rounded-off corners, and the top edge of the cabinet slopes down to the face. It has one HDMI input and one DVI with HDCP, both with separate audio. Also on tap are a pair of component-video inputs and one each for S-Video and composite video, though you'll need to choose which of the latter two gets audio. We appreciated its picture-in-picture function.

Look elsewhere if you watch movies in the dark, but this 27-inch LCD does a solid job with standard TV fare. Though its plain, silver design is somewhat uninspired, we liked the tilt-and-pivot capabilities of the included stand. Video inputs include one high-bandwidth component, one low-bandwidth component, one S-Video, two composite video, and one coaxial. If you want HDTV, you'll need to add an external ATSC tuner, HD satellite or cable box. TV is served up by one NTSC tuner.

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